Computing devices, such as personal computers (PCs), are widespread within the fabric of current communications networks at every level, from in-home networks to global networks like the Internet and the World-Wide Web (“WWW”). Digital media files of many types, including pictures, video, audio, greeting cards, animations, games, artwork, music compositions, x-rays, scanned documents, software programs, and the like are frequently transmitted between computing devices.
In a variety of known examples, one processor-based device functioning as a host may communicate wirelessly or via a cable with a less fully featured processor-based device that may be referred to herein as a “processor-based appliance”, a “digital appliance”, an “electronic appliance”, or simply an “appliance”. An example is a chat pad wirelessly communicating with a PC. Another example is a processor-based telephone communicating telephone call information with a processor-based device that acts as a host. Other examples include a PDA or a digital music player that may wirelessly communicate with a PC.
A digital picture frame (hereinafter “DPF”) is a processor-based appliance that enables a display for displaying digital pictures. In some embodiments, it also includes a display component. In other embodiments, the DPF connects with an external display, such as a TV. A DPF with an integral display may be used like a conventional picture frame to display pictures, such as pictures of family, friends, pets, and the like. However, with a DPF, the pictures may be changed and displayed digitally.
A number of DPFs are known in the art, including DPFs that are commercially available from Sony Corporation of America, New York City, N.Y.; Digi-Frame Inc., Port Chester, N.Y.; Ceiva Logic, Inc., Burbank, Calif.; and Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N.Y. DPFs may also be referred to in the art as electronic picture frames, Internet frames, or smart frames.
In the known DPFs, two basic types of picture storage are used. In one type, pictures can be obtained from a digital camera or personal computer, and the pictures are conveyed into the DPF on a removable memory element or device, such as a memory card, a MemoryStick™ device, a SmartMedia™ device, or the like.
In the second type, the DPF can periodically download pictures from the Internet into a local memory for display. In addition, some DPFs are also capable of uploading pictures via the Internet to a dedicated server.
In the field of DPFs, there is significant competitive pressure among manufacturers to increase the performance of their equipment. As market forces drive DPF manufacturers to produce DPFs with increased performance, DPF architectures and feature sets accordingly need to support the increased performance expectations.
Thus, there is a need for better ways to transfer media information between processor-based devices including, but not limited to, a host and an appliance such as a DPF.